Patent applications are examined by the relevant Patent Office before proceeding the application to grant. We act for the client to put forward arguments to ultimately prosecute the patent application to grant.
What the process involves
The relevant patent office will carry out searches on the patent application to establish if it satisfies the requirements of patentability. We would then discuss with the client the best approach going forward; this usually involves putting forward technical arguments on the patentability of the invention and possibly making amendments to the claims.
We work directly before the European Patent Office and the Intellectual Property Office of IrelandIPOI and the EPO, and via associates in other offices. Over the years we have built up a strong team of associates in US, China, and Japan and many other countries to work with us in the prosecution of patent applications to grant.
What the next steps involve
This process is the most time consuming, however if the patent office ultimately agrees that the invention is patentable, the patent office will issue a decision to grant, and the patent application will become a granted patent. There are facilities in some offices such as the EPO to expedite the examination process. This can be preferred by applicants from time to time, however it is often the case that the applicant prefers to allow the application to go through the normal course, allowing flexibility and time for direction of the patent application according to product development and commercialisation.
